White
by gar-a-ash2
Summary: White? What kind of predator wears white? How can he hope to hide himself with such bright clothing? But still... he is hidden, hidden among the prey. Maybe... maybe he's worth watching? Maybe he's not such a stupid hunter? Not a pairing story, really
1. Chapter 1

White? Why was it white? White was strange. Bad camoflauge. Stood out too much. White was bad. Very bad. Silly predator has white. Almost worth a laugh.

She giggled to herself, watching the hunter with white. Amazingly, the prey around him ignored the brightness of his colors, and the predator was completely unnoticed. Hmm, maybe she should try white. Prey always screamed when they saw her. Maybe white would help?

Lifting her head, she looked around for anything white to try her theory. Spying a small cloth, she scrambled to her feet and loped on all fours to the edge of the roof she was currently on, fingers grasping the edge in the brief moment before her legs shoved away from it. The brief moment of weightlessness had her smiling again, broken front teeth jagged and sharp, and she landed awkwardly, right arm bending under her as it took the weight. She folded her legs oddly under her before she stalked to the cloth, listening for any prey. Hearing nothing, she reached out and grabbed it, dragging it as well as she could over her head, gathering it around her neck. The cloth felt odd against her bare skin, but she put up with the irritation as she walked back to the edge of the roof, looking once more for the predator.

Ignoring the white prey, she scanned the herd below her until she found the predator, seamlessly blending in. Tilting her head, she studied him for another moment before jumping to the ground, hand catching a roof pole to slow herself on her descent.

A female prey screamed at the sight of her, but she ignored the silly creature and scampered on all fours after the white predator, hissing in irritation when the white on her did nothing to stop the screams of fear. Ptah, stupid creatures. How did they ignore one white predator and notice another?

Shoving her way through the herd, she sniffed along the ground, searching for the hunter. It was difficult finding it through the stench of the herd, but after circling for the third time, she managed to find the burnt-wood smell. It was quite distinct from the weak smells.

Pausing to growl at the shiny prey that approached her cautiously, she bared her jagged teeth, lowering her head in threat. A breeze brought the nose-wrinkling smell of fear with it, and she snarled before running and jumping over their heads, barking in laughter as they ducked to avoid her. She was fear in this place. A shadow seen only when wanted. It was an excellent place to hunt.

Nose to the ground once more, she followed the scent of the hunter through the alleys, wrinkling her brow in confusion when the smell crawled up a wall. Looking up painfully, she studied the dark pegs, looking around her to see if the smell traveled anywhere else. No, this was the only path. He had gone up.

Whimpering slightly, she stood up, trying to keep howls of pain from sounding as her spine straightened. Bony knobs pressed against each other, scraping, cracking, causing the utmost agony. One leg twisted outward, an instinctive attempt to relieve the pain, and she balanced on her toes. Standing was almost impossible, but she could force herself to do it. For short periods of time, anyways.

Gritting the jagged ends of her teeth against each other, she reached an arm up for the first peg, lean muscles pulling her up. Crouching on that first peg, she couldn't help a sigh of relief as the pain in her back stopped, the hollow echoes still resonating through her body. But now that she had gotten up to the first peg, she could leap and twist the rest of the way up to the roof. No more standing.

Pain swiftly forgotten, she grinned in anticipation of the hunt as she pushed with her legs, reaching out with one casual hand to catch the next peg. Swinging underneath, she let her momentum carry her back around, landing on the top of the peg. Jumping straight up for the next one, she grabbed it with her arms and scrambled her way up, continuing her way up like this. In this manner she very swiftly reached the flat surface of the roof, her preferred hunting grounds. So much easier to hunt from above.

Sniffing once more, she followed the scent from building to building, slowing as the smell grew stronger. Finally stopping, she lifted her head from the ground and tilted her head, listening intently. Below her, the sounds of the city carried on, but she blocked those out in favor of listening for more subtle sounds. Any predator would try to be as quiet as possible. It made it so much easier to find them. 

She bared her teeth in a grin as she heard the quiet breaths from her right, facing away from her. Looking that way and sniffing, she began the slow process of circling around, slinking from shadow to shadow, dark skin hiding her, natural skills masking her. Time to hunt.

By the time she finally found him, he had moved from his original spot and was slowly making his way across the city, on his guard. She had to suppress a giggle as one foot landed barely a hands-width from her face, her bright eyes following it closely. He was absorbed in his own hunt, not realizing himself that he was being stalked. So easy to catch. The confident predator was the foolish predator.

Slowly slinking out from her hiding place, she cautiously padded up behind him, bare stomach lightly scraping against the hard roof. A lifetime of practice ensured she didn't make a noise as she hunted, slowly drawing nearer to her target. A predator hunting a predator. The ultimate feeling. A challenge from hunting the prey milling down below. Up here, it was just them. They would be alone.

A single length of her body away from him, she gathered her legs under her, ignoring the scraping sound her feet made, and leapt, silent, mouth open in a snarl, baring teeth jagged from being broken so many times. Teeth so sharp she gnawed through her ropes to escape the one time she had been captured. Teeth that left grooves against the bones of her past kills. Teeth that were ready to sever the white predator's throat.

XXX

Altaїr felt a brief moment of puzzlement as he heard the scraping noise behind him, turning to see if it was a bird landing on the stone roof. However, his puzzlement swiftly turned to alarm as he saw the almost-naked woman leaping for him, jagged teeth bared in a feral snarl, hands extended to grab him. In that one, perfect moment of clarity, he noticed her single item of clothing, a white scarf wrapped around her neck, and briefly thought just how absurd it was that he was being attacked by a woman with almost no teeth wearing only a scarf, incorrectly, at that. However, he had to let those thoughts melt quickly away, so he could deal with that absurd woman.

Twisting to the side, Altaїr just narrowly avoided being tackled to the ground, turning to watch his attacker with narrowed eyes as she landed oddly on one forearm, spinning around to face him as the rest of her body settled. He flicked his wrist to release the hidden blade on his arm, showing it to her in an effort to scare her off. Instead, she gave an odd, high-pitched yip and an unsettling grin, circling him on all fours. Confused, he noticed how her spine had this odd twist to it near the base, most likely explaining how she was able to move with such ease on all fours. Unusual, to say the least.

Of course he had heard the rumors floating around the city of the strange, deformed creature that preyed on the citizens. Of course he had dismissed them, believing them to be the fantasies typical of such a small settlement. But with the deformed woman before him, teeth stained with obvious years of blood, he had to reluctantly accept that those rumors were true. It didn't mean that he had to accept the fact that this creature had obviously been hunting him, however.

"Just how did you find me?" Altaїr questioned quietly, drawing a throwing knife out of its sheath. The woman froze for a moment, tilting her head in confusion at the suddenly-appearing blade, then squealed in indignation when he threw it at her, twisting like a cat in the air to avoid it.

He couldn't help a small smile at the impressive maneuver.

"Well done, I'll admit. Let's see just how good you are."

The woman gave a challenging growl to his words, responding to his smile with one of her own as she lowered her head. Shuffling sideways, she hissed as she watched him, clearly waiting for him to make the first move. And move he did.

Altaїr lunged toward her suddenly, arm pulling back to stab her through with the blade. However, surprising him with her flexibility, she twisted underneath his legs, tripping him as she avoided to blade. He stumbled forward ungracefully, swearing to himself, and tried to turn to keep an eye on her. Just as he turned his head, however, a heavy weight slammed into his side, pushing immediately off and shoving him sprawling to the ground. He managed to save his fall with a roll, and spun around to face her, frowning.

"Wasn't expecting that", he muttered, watching her grin warily. Once again, she waited for him to make the next move, and he began wondering just what was going on. She seemed to be not even trying, and it made him uneasy. Was she playing with him?

"I'm not a toy, you know."

A giggle answered him, cackling like a hyena, and he straightened up, frowning. He refused to be some play-toy for a deformed, insane woman.

The laugh cut off abruptly as he stood, the pleased expression on the woman's face twisting into a scowl. She gave a threatening growl, taking a step forward, and he just eyed her coldly. Seeing no reaction from him, she bared her teeth in a hiss, hunching her shoulders threateningly. When Altaїr refused to move again, a sharp screech issued from her throat as she leaped forward, hands outstretched and legs unfolding behind her.

He meant to twist out of the way again, but she moved faster than he had expected. So instead of avoiding her, she collided with his off-balance body, tackling him to the ground and pinning him there, a hand on the back of his skull, forcing his face into the sand on the roof.

He growled in frustration. She growled back.

"Well, it seems we have an impasse here, don't we?"

A hiss answered his question.

"Thought so."

XXX

She held the white predator there for a long time, long enough for the noon sun to sink down into twilight. The heat from the day had made her very thirsty, but she could ignore it. She had been thirsty before. The sweat running down her skin was annoying, though, and it was very hard to resist the urge to wipe it off. If she moved, she had no doubt the predator would kill her. She had to hold him until something changed. Whatever it might be.

He muttered incomprehensively again, and she growled once more, forcing his face deeper into the sand collected on the roof. His angry shout was slightly muffled, and she grinned sadistically. It was taking a long time for him to give up. He was a strong predator. It was a good hunt. If she was hungry, she might have actually killed him, but she had no intention of doing so. No, all she had wanted was entertainment, something to distract her from the sameness. It got quite boring after a while.

A bird landed on the ground right next to her, and, despite herself, she immediately snapped her head around to stare in wonder at it. A moment later, she found herself deeply regretting the action.

XXX

When Altaїr heard the bird land next to him and felt the weight on his back shift, he knew that was his moment to act. Ignoring muscles tight from hours of not moving, he swiftly rolled over onto his back, drawing a knife out of his belt as he did so. The woman gave a startled squawk as she fell forward onto his chest, and immediately froze when she felt the tip of the blade press against her ribs.

"My, my, how the situation's changed." His low voice did nothing to hide his fury, eyes smoldering in the darkening light. He was furious. Not only had he been attacked and bested, but he had been held immobile for hours, ruining his chances of assassinating his target that day. That meant another day of staying in this shithole of a town, of remaining hidden. He was already behind schedule as it was. How would the Master react if he found out just why Altaїr had been delayed? Or the rest of the Brothers? He would be the laughing stalk of the Brotherhood for months. All because of this filthy, deformed woman.

"What I should do, hmm? Put a hole through your liver? Stab through your heart? Slice your stomach open and leave you for the vultures?"

His furious gold eyes met her black ones, and, stupefying him, she grinned and started that accursed giggling again, high-pitched, wheezing, and ultimately infuriating.

"And just what do you find so funny?" he seethed, stabbing the point of his blade a fraction harder against her dark skin. Oddly enough, this caused her to escalate into hysterics, rolling off him and holding her side as her giggles wracked through her body.

He didn't hesitate a moment to put the blade to her neck, but when this failed to produce even the slightest acknowledgement, he finally stayed his blade, thoroughly confused. Was she mentally ill?

At the click of the blade being sheathed, the woman's laughter immediately ceased, her eyes narrowing and suddenly glowing with an intense light. His body froze for a brief moment, startled, but by the time he moved she was already gone, scrambling away on all fours, leaping across the roofs with a deceptive ease. He stared after her, brow furrowed, then decided and moved to follow her. His target could wait for another day. For now, his curiosity was piqued.

And she had stolen his feather.

XXX

She giggled as she ran under the hay wagon, sliding to a stop in a spray of sand. Checking to see if anyone had seen her, she curled up, making a nest out of the loose grains to hold her body heat during the cold desert night. Once she felt secure, she opened her hand, staring in wonder at the white feather that lay in it. The edges had been crushed and torn by her fleeing, and she crooned softly as she straightened them again, marveling at the structure. She had another feather to add to her collection, hidden away in a cave deep in the desert. Thinking of the myriad of feathers and soft things waiting for her in her den, she smiled and buried her nose in the feather, smelling the white predator and the soft dusty smell of a bird. She would spend the next day in her den, she decided. She could hold off eating for another day.

Looking around her once more, she tucked her face into the crook of her elbow, fighting off the chill and curling up tighter. The feather was pressed against her cheek, and for a moment she nuzzled it, mind fuzzy with the encroaching darkness that was sleep. Then, that odd smile still on her face, she dove into the blackness, oblivious to the rest of the world.

XXX

Altaїr watched as the deformed woman curled up underneath the wagon, puzzled as to why she was so fascinated with the feather. She straightened the edges with the greatest care, sniffing it and nuzzling it. For a brief moment he entertained the fantasy that maybe she had an obsession with him, but mentally scoffed at the thought. Why would he care to have such a woman fawning over him?

His golden eyes sharpened as she finally stilled, and he waited until her body relaxed in the thrall that was sleep. One arm flopped over, hand twitching, and he finally moved, descending onto the street below.

Placing his feet carefully to make no sound, he approached the wagon the creature slept under, tense and alert. Anyone noticing his presence might question him, rousing the woman, or she could be a light sleeper and wake at the wrong sound. Normally he wouldn't attempt something like this until he was certain there was no way he could fail, but he needed that feather. He could not complete his mission without it.

A short distance away from the sleeping deformity, he stopped, slowly lowering himself to a crouch to see underneath the wagon. She had shifted slightly, one leg stretching out, but other than that didn't seem to be disturbed by his presence. He wanted to snort at her foolishness. Not only did she sleep out in the open, where anyone could see her, but she apparently was a heavy sleeper as well. It was obvious she was not trained by anyone, or she would not have done anything this stupid.

He paused, then took a step back and looked around himself. Unless this was trap, and she was bait for an ambush. However, he could see nothing that might be a threat to him, but that didn't mean there was nothing there. Wasn't he a master of hidden kills himself? With her dark skin, he couldn't be certain of her origins, and one never knew if there might be another clan of assassins like the Brotherhood. He could be walking straight into a trap.

After a moment, he shook his head and stalked forward again. If he was intended to die, he would have been killed while he was pinned on that rooftop. She was harmless, to an extent. Or at least there was nothing hiding behind a wall waiting to strike him.

At least she was intelligent enough to sleep underneath the center of the wagon, he mused as he crouched to crawl underneath it. Her hand twitched as the sand shifted underneath him, but there was no other movement from her as he slid forward on his belly. As he approached, he became aware of the ripe smell of her body, and wrinkled his nose as he reached a hand out to grab her and drag her out.

She gave a sudden soft sigh, rolling over to face him, and he froze, thinking she was waking. Luckily, though, she only licked her lips, avoiding her shattered teeth and rubbing her face against the feather before settling again. He remained still for a few minutes, waiting, then, quick as a striking cobra, grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her hiding spot.

He might as well have set off a few explosions in the middle of the town with the noise she made, screaming and snarling. Her jagged teeth clicked towards his face, and he jerked his head back instinctively, narrowly avoiding the sharp edges. She pulled at his arms, trying to free herself, and as she bent her head down to bite his hand he slapped his free palm across her face, startling her into a brief moment of silent stillness.

The air was still for a moment, except for the sounds of the citizens waking, and then he could feel a strong anger building up under her skin, dark and angry as a sandstorm. A sense of unease filled him as her twisted face turned to meet his, and he became instantly aware of how they were standing, she trying to crouch as much as possible while he held her arm up to his height. Her neck was bent from his slap, one hand hooked into talons, and her weight was balanced on her toes, as in any professional fighter. Altaїr suddenly became very afraid, and he found out a brief moment later that his fear was not unfounded.

A low, rumbling growl filled the air as she suddenly bent towards her feet, yanking him down after her. As he struggled to pull her back up and catch his balance, she exploded once again upwards, top of her head slamming under his chin, making his teeth clang together and his vision dance briefly with explosions. His hand relaxed the slightest amount, and suddenly she was free, falling to all fours and running away, silent and swift as a vengeful spirit.

He sprinted after her, ignoring the confused and alarmed shouts behind him as he twisted and turned through the alley, steadily catching up with her. Fast she may be, but the human body was not made for running on all fours, and he had undergone years of aggressive training to maintain his form. The thought of her outrunning him was a joke.

Startling him with her agility, she suddenly leaped onto a pile of crates, sending them crashing behind her, then twisted her way through a window, causing the occupants inside to scream in panic. Gritting his teeth, he jumped off of one of the fallen crates onto the top of the house, running across and reaching the other side just as the woman leaped through another window. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he leaped, feet right over the small of her back.

They landed in a painful tangle, snarls and yells mixing together as the fought in the sand, one struggling to pin the other while the other strained to get away. Teeth buried themselves in his forearm, and Altaїr grunted at the hot pain that radiated from the bite. A knife slipped from his belt, and he drove it into the woman's side, wincing as a scream of pain sounded right next to his ear. She collapsed, then tried once more to twist to her feet and run again, snarling and yelping as he planted his boot in the middle of her back with an audible cracking sound. There was a squeal of pain, then suddenly the creature beneath him was still.

He paused for a moment, then bent down to see if perhaps he had killed her. But no, she was still alive, glaring at him through tears of pain, still in surrender. He studied her for a moment, then grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her, ignoring her whimper of pain as he tied her hands behind her back with cord. He hobbled her feet and lifted her from the ground, absently noting the puddle of blood that was hungrily absorbed by the cold sand. He tried to make her stand, but as her back snapped and she whimpered he growled and slung her over his shoulder, bearing her slight weight as he began running. The owners of the house behind him had lit their candles and watched the fight with wide eyes, but there was nothing he could do to prevent them from telling of his existence. He could not harm an innocent.

Around him, the town was rousing, guards filling the streets, and he grit his teeth as he began his ascent up a building, the weight on his left shoulder setting him off balance and threatening to spill them both onto the streets again. However, the deformed woman was unnaturally still, which he had to be slightly grateful for. If she had been struggling, there would have been no way to climb with her. And he was determined to bring her to the Rafik. She was an oddity, and he knew that Sabba would enjoy trying to figure her out.

Reaching the roof, he grunted as he crawled over the ledge, struggling to keep his balance as he stood. The weight on his shoulder remained unmoving even as they almost fell, and for a brief moment he was concerned she might have died. But no, as he turned she was still watching him, the whites of her eyes the only visible part of her in the night. Her gaze flicked to his then swiftly away, reminding him of a cowed dog, and he furrowed his brow once more as he carried her to the guild. She was an odd creature, alright.

He ran over the buildings, taking a safer route now that his weight had increased by over half. His jumps were shorter and landings heavier, almost spraining his ankle on one jump, and he grit his teeth as he stared longingly at the guild entrance a short distance away. But it was too far to jump with her weight, so he turned and took a longer way around.

Twisting out of sight as a guard climbed up a ladder, Altaїr swore softly to himself as he ducked behind a tower. Moving slowly, he turned just enough to see the guard, watching as he apparently meant to set up station on that corner. While under normal circumstances Altaїr wouldn't have a problem, with the added weight on him he wouldn't be able to duck silently around him as he normally would. Problems upon problems, it seemed.

Sighing, he quietly dropped the deformed woman, glaring at her in warning. Surprising him with her sudden shift in attitude, she dropped her eyes and turned away, remaining as still and compliant as if he was still holding her. Then again, she was still tied, so that might account for her compliancy.

Reasonably certain she wouldn't move, he crouched and stalked toward the guard, creeping up like a shadow on his turned back. There was a click followed by a wet grunt, then the sound of something heavy dropping to the roof. Looking around him, Altaїr wiped his blade off on the guard's clothing before turning back and picking up the woman, who apparently hadn't even moved after he left her. She stood obediently at his beckon, causing him to raise an arched eyebrow, and he once again slung her over his shoulder and ran off. Within moments, he was dropping down onto the guild's floor, the Rafik stepping out to greet the assassin. Altaїr turned in time to see the puzzled expression, and dropped the deformed woman on the floor.

"Altaїr, Son of None, I would least expect you to bring a woman back to our hidden place."

"It's a gift for you."

"I never took you for a joker, Altaїr", the Rafik stated in amusement, checking on the condition of the woman lying on the ground. As his hand touched her skin, her eyes flew open, and he was barely able to avoid the teeth aiming for his throat.

As he sat back, stunned, the woman snarled and writhed, fighting against the bonds. Altaїr chuckled dryly, and the Rafik turned a stony expression up to the assassin.

"Many thanks, Altaїr Ibn La-Ahad", he spat out sarcastically, and Altaїr chuckled louder.

"It is of no concern."

~x~

_**A/N: I know, I should be working on my L4D fics. But my friend recently let me borrow his Assassin's Creed games, and I have found a new obsession. Yes, the other fics will be finished, but apparently slowly. But the ideas are still in my brain, I'm still attached to them, so all is good. I promise.**_

_**Anyone who was following my old account should immediately recognize the female character. While she is not an exact copy, I based her off of my much-beloved character Reni, my brave lion. I miss using her, but, being a Naruto oc, was not able to really use her. While I could just move her into a different story, I decided to just create a kind of clone, so as not to harm her original design and soul. Thus, this character was born. I'll tell you now her name will be Canid, and she is African. And, for those who didn't catch it, her teeth are broken and sharp, and her back is afflicted with sciatica, a deformity I'm quite familiar with, having it myself. I exaggerated it a bit, but I occasionally feels very similar to what is described in the story.**_

_**I will apologize for the long wait on my other stories, but my mind has a severe case of ADD and if I focus too long on one thing I get incredibly frustrated and spaz. This one might not be updated too often, either, since college is really busy, but I promise to not be too outrageous.**_

_**Alright, I'm leaving off!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Altaїr slowly crawled around the corner of the building, looking down at the celebrating street below. The village's leader, Ashur, was in the middle of announcing the death of the deformed creature that had been plaguing their village, and Altaїr snorted as he brandished the body of a mangy hyena. Without its fur, and half-starved as it was, he supposed it could be mistaken for a deformed woman at least, but with the image of the creature in his mind, there was no similarity. Ashur was just taking advantage of the disruption the night before, claiming he had sent a highly trained guard to kill it. And with no sign of the creature other than blood, the village was more than willing to accept it.

He briefly wondered how Sabba was doing with the woman, wincing at the memory of the fight this morning. The Rafik had almost lost a finger to her teeth, only able to keep it because that particular spot in her teeth had been shattered. For some reason, as soon as Altaїr had entered the room she had quieted, but she would not allow Sabba near her. Of course, Sabba was trying to be kind to her, while Altaїr hadn't yet hesitated to hit her for misbehaving.

Golden eyes sharpened as Altaїr noticed Ashur moving into a side street while the crowd was occupied with the burning corpse of the hyena, and silently leaped onto the next building to follow. He could not delay any longer on his assassination. If it meant that he make a scene, then so be it. Ashur had to be taken before he left the city this evening.

A living shadow, he stalked his target through the village, watching as the guards peeled off one at a time. Finally, when there were only three guards left and the streets were empty, Altaїr struck.

Leaping down, he drove his hidden blade into the hollow between neck and shoulder of one of the guards, swiftly withdrawing the blade and twisting aside to avoid the sword of another. Pulling out a throwing knife, he sent it home into a neck, stabbing the last in the unarmored armpit and driving into his heart. Dropping the body, he ran after the fleeing Ashur, tracking him by the panicked footfalls and cries for help. But the guards were all in the square, watching the burning animal, and this part of the city was empty. Ashur's confidence in his safety would ultimately end in his downfall.

Listening as the man turned a corner, Altaїr leaped onto a market stall, using it as a stepping stone to access the roof. Sprinting lightly, he ran to edge and crouched, waiting for Ashur to turn the corner. At the sight of the panicked man looking behind him, Altaїr jumped down, withholding a sadistic grin as the man ran into him and bounced off, falling onto the sand. The panicked look nearly had him laughing as he flicked his wrist, releasing the mechanism that controlled the blade. The deadly ring it produced had a cold sweat appear on Ashur's face, and Altaїr imagined that he must look particularly fierce indeed.

"Please, I beg you-"

"Quiet", Altaїr growled, taking a measured step forward, enjoying the escalating fear he could quite clearly see. He was God right now, to this man. He would decide if he lived or died.

"I'll pay you-"

"I said be quiet."

Ashur's mouth immediately snapped shut, a rivulet of sweat running down his cheek. Altaїr stood there for a moment, still and silent, letting the suspense grow. Then, once he felt the fear couldn't be greater, he took another step, sending the man before him scurrying backwards in the sand, crawling, sobbing, begging. Pathetic. Altaїr took a step forward, allowing a sneer to cross his face.

"Disgusting."

Ashur paused for a moment, as if unable to understand the word. Then, a look of utter horror ran across his face as he attempted to scramble to his feet to run away. Altaїr growled and caught the back of his robes, dragging him to his feet and backwards, the man sobbing as he was spun around and shoved against the side of a building. There was a glint of sunlight on steel, then the blade was driven forward between two ribs, sliding and tearing through the muscle and fat, reaching the heart and cutting through it as if it were nothing. There was a light scraping sound as the tip of the blade scratched the stone behind it, then the blade was withdrawn back into its kennel, eagerly awaiting its next use. Altaїr stayed just long enough to soak his bedraggled feather crimson, then let the body fall to the ground as he turned away.

"Absolutely disgusting."

XXX

She snarled at the strange prey-predator as he tried to coax her out from underneath the scroll shelf, her eyes flicking to watch every motion in the room. There was another white predator there, laughing, amused by the situation, and she sent him a sharp, throat-tearing growl to remind him that she was not something to be laughed at. She was furious when he ignored her once again, but the puncture on her side reminded her to keep herself. She was not in any condition to fight one opponent now, let alone two. She had no doubt that they were packmates, just as the dogs in the village were. Packmates defended each other, always. To harm one would be to harm the pack, and the pack always fought back.

There was a scraping sound, followed by the sound of something heavy dropping to the ground, and all eyes turned to watch as the white predator paced into the room. He paused, raising an eyebrow as he observed the three of them, then his gaze found hers and she forced her eyes away in submission. He had proven his dominance once. She was not eager to repeat the experience.

The younger white predator barked lightly, tone airy with repressed laughter, and she growled once more at him, furious that he found her so amusing. She should be feared, not laughed at!

The white predator barked once, an irritated tone, and she immediately ducked her head, hissing as she withdrew deeper into the recess between shelves and floor. The prey-predator seemed oddly delighted with her behavior, and she snarled at him as he ducked to peer at her. He bared his teeth back as he laughed, and she moaned, clutching her head. This was why she avoided the prey. They were impossible to understand.

She held her head in an attempt to fight off the splitting headache while the pack barked among themselves, the young one's voice full of airy laughter, the prey-predator's of wonder, and the white predator's full of irritation and disbelief. There was the sound of shuffling cloth, and she looked up to see the white predator pull out the feather, now crimson with soaked blood.

He had taken the feather from her.

Yowling with longing, she crawled out from underneath the shelves, hobbling with her injured side, staring at the feather as she whimpered and pleaded. The other three stared at her with disbelief, but she had no use for any of them. She only wanted the feather, the beautiful feather. Distantly, she heard the prey-predator murmur something, and the white predator responded with a short snarl as he turned to face her. Giving her a look of intense disgust, he bent down and held the feather out, leaning back as if she carried the skin sickness.

She reached out to grab the feather, whimpering gratitude and appeasement, and then the prey-predator pounced on her, trying to pin her to the ground.

She screeched with fury as she tried to twist her way out of his grasp, snapping at his face and snarling as he avoided her attempts with more ease than what it should have been. The young predator growled in alarm, reaching out to grab her, and she turned and buried her jagged teeth in the flesh of his forearm, snarling in satisfaction when he yelped and yanked his arm back. Freeing a foot, she stared the prey-predator in the eyes as she reached her knee back to her chin and kicked him in the face, causing him to bark loudly in pain and release her as he stumbled back. She grinned, baring her broken teeth, then began to turn to run away.

That was when the white predator's boot met her own face, and she yowled as she stumbled back, whimpering and lowering herself in submission, twisting her neck up painfully to look at him. He had an odd expression on his face, a mixture of disgust and fury. The prey-predator whined something on the ground, and the white predator looked at him before barking sharply. He was given a shrug in response, and he stood still for a moment before he snarled, kneeling down and forcing her to the ground.

She rolled over without resistance, baring her throat and turning her face away. The young predator muttered something, and the white predator snarled angrily in response, making her flinch. The prey-predator moved closer, and she began to lift her lips to warn him away, but a sharp cuff from the white predator had her stilling again. He was law.

Barely able to hold back her angry hisses, she endured his touches upon her skin, grimacing as he poked at the wound in her side and barely able to hold back a squeal of pain as he rubbed a stinging paste on it. He kept up a rambling background of muttering, with the other two responding now and then. He left her side for a moment, and she began to twist onto her stomach again, but the white predator's boot on her shoulder made her freeze before sinking back down. There was a flash of something small and bright in the prey-predator's hands, then her mind went blank as something sharp and hard stabbed through her skin.

Snarling with pain and fury, she began twisting to her feet, hissing at the pressure on her skin, but her shoulders were pinned by the white predator and her legs by the young one. No matter how hard she struggled, she was unable to escape their strength, and was forced to endure the agony of having her skin stabbed over and over as the prey-predator did strange things to her that she couldn't see or understand. The agony seemed to last forever before there was one last stab, and then he was drawing away, the predators releasing her, allowing her to escape.

Snarling and spitting, she scrambled to her feet, slipping on the floor for a moment before she dove into the space between shelves and floor again, pressing her back to the wall and screeching at any that dared come near her. The young predator ducked down once, but a clawed swipe at his eyes had him hastily retreating, stepping back swiftly to the other side of them room. Then, as dusk began to fall and bells rang through the air, she watched from her hiding place, a low growl continuous from her throat, warning that if any come near her she would kill them.

XXX

"You want me to what?"

"Take her back with you to Masyaf. Altaїr, she cannot survive much longer here, and it is our duty to protect citizens."

"Citizens, yes. Feral women that seem to have been raised by hyenas? We have no responsibility to her. I brought her back so you could heal her, and you have. Our obligations have ended."

"Come, Altaїr, have a heart. It's obvious she likes you. Why not bring her back with you?"

Altaїr grit his teeth as he turned to the grinning Baltasar, wondering briefly if he would have any teeth left by the time he reached Masyaf. At the rate he seemed to be grinding them upon each other, he doubted it.

"If you want to help her that badly, Baltasar, then you go ahead and take her back to Masyaf."

"Ah, but she doesn't like me. But you saw how well she listened to you. You should have no troubles bringing her back."

"It's not the fact that I'll have trouble, it's that I don't WANT to drag her three days across the desert to have the same difficulties in Masyaf as here. What would be the point of bringing her to a different city? So she can prey on our own citizens?"

"Al Mualim can help her, Altaїr. Even if he can't completely teach her how to behave, then at least she'll do well as a laborer. It can do no harm."

"I can think of plenty of harm she can do", Altaїr growled, clenching his fist. His voice was met by an anxious hiss from under the shelves, and he shot a glare in the woman's general direction.

"Why can you not hold her here until Baltasar returns to Masyaf?"

"Because I am not returning until I am certain that the new leader is, ah, 'sympathetic' to our cause, Altaїr. You were responsible for cleaning out the dirt, but it is my duty to keep the filth out."

"Altaїr, if I must, then I will order you to take her back. I rank higher than you; I WILL do so. She needs help, and she cannot get that here."

For a moment, Altaїr stood stiffly, debating whether it was worth resisting. Then, his shoulders sagged in defeat.

"Fine, I will bring her."

Sabba nodded.

"Thank you, Altaїr."

Altaїr sneered and turned away from them, walking to the next room.

"I may bring her back, but I will not get her ready for the journey."

His last glimpse of Sabba and Baltasar were of the two exchanging disconcerted looks, and he smirked at the small victory. At least he wouldn't have to deal with her until it was time to leave later that night. That was a small consolation, at least.

XXX

Altaїr snorted as he saw the arrangement he was given.

"And you called me cruel? How much rope did you use to bind her?"

The woman was bound severely, barely able to move. There were ties around her ankles, lower legs, and thighs, her hands were tied behind her back, more roped around her arms, and her mouth was gagged. Judging from the amount of blood staining Sabba's and Baltasar's clothing, it could be easily assumed that it had been a challenge to bind her in such a way.

"We figured the less she could move, the less trouble she would give on the journey. Besides, getting her out of the city will be no easy matter, especially with the guards on high alert. If we wrapped her in rugs, you could always play the foolish merchant traveling alone, finished with selling his wares here and returning home."

Altaїr nodded.

"That will give me an excuse to be leaving so early in the morning. Baltasar, could you fetch my horse while Sabba and I hide her?"

"You rode in on your stallion?"

"Yes."

"I will be back."

They watched as the young assassin swiftly scaled the walls, vanishing over the lip of the roof. Once he was gone, Altaїr turned back to the Rafik.

"I still think this is foolish."

"I know you do, Altaїr Son of None, but I cannot let her remain here in good conscience. She will be killed."

"Is that so bad?"

"Even the ants deserve life, Altaїr. Ride swiftly, and you should be there soon."

"One hopes, but fate can be cruel sometimes."

At the sound of hooves in the distance, Altaїr bent and lifted the woman by the bindings on her arms, ignoring her whimpers of pain. Sabba laid out a simple rug, and together they covered the woman, until she was an unrecognizable lump. As they rolled more rugs, Baltasar swung down into the room again, raising an eyebrow at the growls of the creature.

"She doesn't sound pleased."

"Would you be?"

He shrugged.

"It was an observation."

Wordlessly, they lifted her body onto the roof and down into the streets below, where Altaїr's black stallion stood, patiently waiting. The horse snorted at the growl of the woman, but otherwise remained still as they placed her first behind the saddle, then piled more of the rugs on top of her. By the time they were finished, she was indistinguishable under four rugs, her growls smothered under the fabric.

"That will have to do", Sabba said, stepping back as he finished tying the last strap to hold the load in place. While unused to carrying such a load, the stallion was well-trained, and offered no resistance to the burden.

Altaїr stepped forward, grabbing the reins and swinging into the saddle, and the horse pranced eagerly under him.

"I will see you again, Sabba. Good luck, Baltasar."

Baltasar grinned while Sabba waved him off.

"Keep your luck, Altaїr Ibn La-Ahad. I have a feeling you will need it."

Altaїr snorted as he wheeled the horse around, trotting towards the city gates. The dawn sun was still under the horizon, and would be for another two hours yet. The air was cold and the streets dark, the ringing of the hooves echoing around him. Then, without a second glance backwards, Altaїr left his fellow assassins and headed on the path to return to Masyaf.

XXX

She seethed as she lay strapped to the horse, buried in the smothering weight of fabric. She could hear the white predator growling quietly with prey, but without being able to use her other senses, that knowledge served no use. As it was, the sound was muffled, monotonous.

She growled again, and she could feel the white predator shift his weight, making the horse move as he pretended to steady it. He had done that every time she had made a sound, and it pleased her to sense the irritation radiating from him each time she did so. The prey laughed once, harsh and humorless, and then the horse was moving again, passing through, walking past whatever scrutiny it was given. She snorted, considering growling again, but gave up and dropped her head back onto the horse's thigh. For just a moment, she was tempted to bite, to drink the blood that would quench her growing thirst, then remembered she was still tied and injured, and the white predator wouldn't like that. Couldn't upset the white predator.

He would kill her.

Overheated, half-crushed by the weight of the fabric, and thirsty, she fell into a daze as the horse trotted beneath her. The hips dug into her ribs, but she couldn't move enough to avoid the pain, and as such was forced to bear it. What scents did come from underneath were unfamiliar and dry, like the sands of the desert.

She lifted her head again, eyes snapping open even though she couldn't see anything. Desert?

XXX

Altaїr had to fight hard to keep from yelling as the creature bound behind him suddenly started shrieking and writhing, causing the horse to start and buck slightly underneath him. Placing a calming hand on its neck, he twisted around to stare in confusion behind him, the cowl of his hood fighting off the sun's glare.

Sun? Oh, right.

"Too hot under there?" he growled in irritation as he undid the ropes holding the rugs, letting them fall to the ground gracelessly. He could leave them out here now, now that they had no more use. Sure, the bureau would have to replace them, but that wasn't any of his concern, was it?

Dismounting, he slung the last rug over his shoulder, the one she was hidden in, and settled it to the ground. She kept struggling as he uncovered her, and he growled wordlessly as he attempted to undo the cords and knots that kept that last rug tight. God forbid he ever do anything like this again.

Finally losing his patience, he flicked his wrist and used the hidden blade to sever the last cord. The fabric fell slack, the creature within absolutely still for a moment, and then the rug exploded.

Shouting in surprise and throwing himself backwards, he narrowly missed the flailing hooves of his panicked horse as the woman leaped out of the fabric, snapped ties trialing behind her. She stumbled briefly in the sand, then regained her footing and resumed her four-legged sprint, vanishing into the dunes. He was sorely tempted to leave her out there for the hyenas and vultures, but remembered the message Sabba had sent to Al Mualim and rose to calm his horse. By the time he had mounted the black stallion, she was barely a speck in the distance, and he kicked his horse into a gallop to catch her.

To the fastest horse in Masyaf, she was comparable to a tortoise, and within moments he had caught up to her. Removing a bola from the saddle bags, he twirled the cords twice before releasing them, sending the tangles towards the woman's legs. One cord snaked around an outstretched wrist, and the momentum of the twine swinging back around was enough to catch her other arm, tying them together and sending her flying into the sand. She rolled a few feet, screeching, then vanished into nothing.

"What in God's name?" Altaїr shouted as he ranked back hard on the reins, the stallion rearing to a stop as he fought against the sudden pressure at his mouth. There were a few tense moments as the horse stepped backwards on his hind legs, then he settled to the ground, tossing his head to say that he wasn't happy about the rough treatment. Stroking the neck in apology, Altaїr stared intensely at the spot where the woman had vanished, astounded. Where had she gone?

After staring at the sands uncomfortably for a few moments, Altaїr hesitantly dismounted, giving the command for his horse to stay put. Withdrawing a dagger, he held it ready as he crept forward, and as a result nearly killed himself.

Almost screaming, because assassins do not scream, he twisted in the air as the ground suddenly fell out from under him, and he fell almost six meters to a stone floor, accompanied by the sand he had been walking on a few moments ago. He landed with a pained grunt, dagger missing his ribs by a hands-width, and he lay there, groaning, wondering what underworld he had fallen into. Grimacing, he lifted his head, looking around him, and realized he was in an underground cavern, lit by a few holes in the ceiling, such as the one he had fallen into.

That same instant, he noticed the snapped cords of the bola, and groaned as he rose to his feet, withdrawing another dagger to accompany the one in his hand. He had been bested once by this woman. He would not allow it to happen again.

Stalking forward, he narrowed his eyes and activated the vision that made him one of the best assassins in the brotherhood. The world around him flared with gray-blue light, edges distorted and wavy, light non-important. Looking around, he crept forward in this fashion, wary of every hidden crevice and tunnel.

A low growl sounded to his left, and he snapped his head in that direction, an instant later realizing at was merely an echo of sound. The round roof of the cavern allowed her voice to echo, and as he listened to the quiet growls he was reminded of a jackal cornered in its den, ready to fight to the death.

Perhaps that was not too far from the truth.

Cautiously ducking into a tunnel, he blinked as he entered a smaller cavern, the room glowing with its own light, something that should have been impossible. Frowning, he deactivated the sight and stared at the area with normal eyes, peering through the gloom in disbelief as he saw the torn fabric, skeletons, and jewelry scattered all over the floor.

Feathers were everywhere.

Kneeling to examine one, he decided it was most likely a tail feather caught from an unlucky eagle, too slow to take flight when the woman had pounced. Perhaps not killed, but losing this feather in its moment unaware.

At that moment, there was a scuffing noise before the woman landed heavily on his shoulders.

Shouting, he rolled forward with the blow, shedding the creature as he continued the motion to his feet, holding his daggers ready as he twisted around to face her. She crouched on the ground before him, crouched over the mess of feathers, snarling at him, not moving, and he blinked as it suddenly hit him.

This was her den.

It explained the skeletons of small animals, the shredded cloth, the neutral glow the room itself contained, and the accursed feathers this woman seemed to have an obsession with. While she hunted in the city, she lived in this hidden cavern, safe from any assaults against her. It explained why she was able to torment the town for years, striking and then vanishing into nothing. The guards were still incompetent, but at least it was understood why they had failed in her capture.

"So this is where the hunter lairs, creature? This is where the monster dens when she is not slaying the citizens of the town?"

She bared her jagged teeth and hissed in response, still protecting the ridiculous feathers. He snorted at her foolishness.

"You would guard the feathers while your life was in danger? At least they can say you are not a traitor", he said sarcastically, repositioning the dagger in his right hand and flicking it out towards her. She squealed as it caught her left hand, pinning it to the floor. She pulled against it for a moment, screeching in agony, then halted the movements as he stalked forward, baring her teeth in resistance. For a moment, he admired her commitment, but abolished the thought as soon as it was born. She deserved no admiration.

He took another step, then paused at the next hiss she sent in his direction.

"Leeeeeafffff."

He stared at her for a moment, studying her. Had she just spoken?

"Leeeeeeavvvvvvvve!" she hissed again, louder. The broken teeth made it difficult for her to make the sounds, but the command to leave was quite clear.

"You can speak? And you let us continue to think that you were dull?"

"Leeeavvvvve!"

He frowned at the repetition of the word. No, she was not speaking. She was merely mimicking words she must have heard throughout her years of hunting the city. There was no intelligence behind the sounds.

"A shame, I suppose. You might have had at least some use as a messenger if you had any vocal capabilities. No matter."

Taking the final steps forward without the slightest hesitation, he held her pinned hand to the ground with his foot as he yanked the dagger out of her flesh, ignoring her squeal of pain. As he had predicted, she did not attempt to attack him any further. Like a jackal, she would protect her den from intruders and attack if cornered. But also like a jackal, she knew who was dominant and when to yield to them.

"Stand up", he ordered, using his hand to emphasize the command. Growling softly, she whimpered her way to her feet, cradling her damaged hand against her chest, baring her teeth as she glared at him. He snorted at her, disdainful.

"Come."

Turning, he began to walk away, looking back to glare when she hesitated to obey his command. Whining with obvious reluctance, she hobbled after him, pausing every few steps to look back at the den she was leaving behind. Before he could command her to hurry, she crouched and snatched a handful of flight feathers, holding them to her chest and whimpering. He rolled his eyes, but allowed her to keep them for now. It wasn't like she would be able to follow the horse while holding them.

Remaining cautious of the woman at his back, he traveled back to the spot in the cavern where he had fallen through, marked by the snapped cords of the bola. Kneeling for a moment to examine them, he decided it was unsalvageable, and snorted as he stood once more. This woman was death to any cord. Already he had lost an expensive amount of what was supposed to be unbreakable ropes. He would have to bring this up with the shop owner when he returned to Masyaf.

Reaching up, he could see the spots where her hands had scooped out grips to climb, and he used these handholds to ascend back into the desert above. For him, they were awkwardly placed, but as he watched her reluctantly climb up, he realized they were ideal for her. While he preferred to have a solid grip as he climbed, she tended to slip more than not, leaping from hold to hold as if she wasn't even using them.

Certainly the acrobat, she was. She put Malik's simple grace to shame.

Reaching the top, he had to almost grab her by the hair to get her to leave the cavern, growling quietly at her the entire time she fought against him. She was reluctant to leave her den, and while he couldn't quite blame her, he could be impatient with her.

He sighed as he kicked her in front of him, finally in the sun and heading towards his horse. It was going to be a long journey back home.

XXX

_**A/N: Okay, how about this, you guys? I'll take turns updating chapters for each story, that way none will sit for as long a time as they have been. I also finally outlined my stories too, so they should move faster than what they are. Finally. Sorry about that. Also, if it takes me a while to respond to reviews and messages and such, it's because I don't have internet at home. I'm on campus right now. Actually, I should be printing my annotated bibliography for English. Oops!**_

_**Anyways, if you haven't figured it out, this is pre-game. I imagine Altaїr to be about twenty or so in this, still learning to be an assassin. I think he would probably be vain during this amount of time, which is why I have him admiring himself constantly. But hopefully, I'm still staying true to character. You'd tell me if I wasn't, correct? Hopefully, because I don't want to be too out of path.**_

_**So, as they head to Masyaf, I'll leave off here. See ya later!**_


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